Process and apparatus for electrodeposition.



N. HUGGINS. PROCESS ANDAPPARATUS FOR ELECTRQDEPOSITION.

APPLICATION FILED APR.I8,1916. Y

Patented June 4, 1918.

WV- Naihahiel fit/997775;

I His fifty.

sans rnrnnr canon ETAWL HUG'GINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO COPPER'JPEODUCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRODEPOSITIONI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 31%18.

Application filed April 18, 1916. Serial No. @1386.

. which the following is a specification.

In forming bands or rings of copper and metals allied thereto, the processes. and operations at present used are e ensive; and furthermore it is practically impossible to obtain pure and extremelysoft copper by the resent methods of rolling, casting, turning, and trimming or grinding the same into smoothness, and size.

The object of my invention is to provide a now, simple and exceedingly cheap procsee, and an a paratus for carrying such process into e ect, whereby metallic rings, or other smallbodies may be cheaply formed by electr c-deposition; and while especially adapted for use in forming the driving-band of soft copper, etc, for use on artillery projectiles to take the rifling of the cannonbore, ll do not intend to limit myself to any particular shape or contour of the article produced by my improved process, and apparatus.

Broadly my improved process, consists in substance in, (1) the forming and securing to a suitable conducting-cathode usually of brass, of a bod or bodies of softer and usually more easi y fusible metal or material, of high electric conductivity; which body or bodies are hereinafter, for convenience of descri tion, designated as conductingmold-bla which mold-blanks are placed within a mold of non-conducting and insulating material of the shape and contour of the article to be electrolgtically produced; (2) immersing such mol etc, in an electrolytic-bath; and by electric-deposition forming the article in such mold; (3) removin the article and conducting-moldblank cm the bath and cathode; and (4 lastly removin the conducting-mold-bla from the artic e either by swaging or by melting ofi, or fusing, or in any other desir gi manner.t f d d ea ara us or carrying sai 1m rove rocess iiito efi'ect shown and described erein; is one for the formation of rings,

usually of comparatively pure soft co per, for any urpose, but usually used for orm- 1n ban ing-rings for art1llery-projectiles.

y said process and apparatus for carrying the same into efi'ect is fully shown and described in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, wherein similar numerals of reference designate like or equivalent parts, wherever found throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 shows in central vertical section,

an e

ectrolytic-bath receptacle or tank of the well known rectangular form, in which is revolubly mounted my improved form of revoluble cathode for the electrolytic simultaneous formation of a plurality of metallic rings; a portion of the cathode structure also being shown in like vertical cross section, in position ready to begin the electrolytic actlon.

Fig. 2 is an end view of such improved revolving-cathode taken in section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view, partially in central section of one end of such improved-cathode; alter the formation of the electrolyticrings; and Fig. 4 is an end view in perspective of such cathode, showing certain of the produced electrolytic rings, mold blankrings, and insulating-mold-rings removed, from the cathode.

Referring to the drawing In Fig. l the reference numeral 1, designates the electrolyticdoath-receptacle, or tank containing electrolytic-liquid, usually up to the height ofthe .line 6-?) so as to immerse the cathode (3-, to a point just below the journals thereof resting in the journal slots 2, which slots are open at the top and are formed in the end walls 3, of the receptacle. Located in the tank, usually supported on the bottom by insulating studs 4, is the anode A+, usually in the form of a plate. The cathode C-, is usually formed of brass, or other suitable metal or alloy havin high electric conductivity, and consists of t e central conducting-cylinder or mandrel 5, havin at either end the integrally formed 10111- he s 6 and 6', removably and revolubly fitti in the journal-slots 2.

emovably secured upon the journal 6 1s a pulley or geavwheel 7 of which Bil such cathode may be rotated. The other journal 6, has in contact therewith a commutator-contact-spring 8, usually supported upon a bracket 8 on the receptacle-wall leading from which spring to the minuspole 9 of the electric-generator G, is the conducting wire 10; while from the pluspole 11, an insulating conducting-wire 12, connects with the anode A+,. On the the electrolytic-bath, a peripheral annular mold space or cavity 16 of the sha e and contour of the ring to be electrolytic a ly produced, is left between the insulating-moldrings 14, upon "insertion in the bath, upon turning on the current, and rotating the cathode C, the electrolytic rin s 17 required, are formed by electroeposition upon the conducting-mold-rings '15, in the annular mold-space or cavities 16, until the same are completely filled as shown in Fig. 3; whereupon the cathode is removed from the'bath, the collar 13, and wheel 7, removed, and all the rings forced oif from the cylindrical conducting-cylinder 4 or mandrel 5, usually by the use of a cylindrical hollow press-mandrel slipping easily over the mandrel 5. If in this operation the mold-blankrings 15, are not separated from the electrolytic rings 17, the same are then swaged ofi, or cut and stripped therefrom, or melted off. New conducting-mold-rings 15, and the ori inal insulating-mold-rings 14:, which can e reused indefimtely are then laced upon the conducting-mandrel 5, and t e operation repeated. a

By this process homogeneous rings of electrolytic-copper, etc., are quickly and cheaply produced, which need little if any tooling to ring about smoothness of surface and fit.

I claim: i I

1. The hereinbefore described process for the formation of metallic articles which consists of the following steps :(1) forming a conductin mold-blank; (2) positioning such mold-blan upon, and in contact with .a cathode; (3) positioning insulation upon the cathode to wall such mold-blank to form a moldlng-cavity outward of such mold-blank;

(4) immersing the cathode in anelectrolytic bath; (5) electrolytically depositing upon the face .of the conducting-mold-blank, the required quantity of deposition to form the article desired to be produced; (6) removing cathode havin the conducting-mold-blank and article from the cathode; and (7) separating the moldblank from the article.

2. The hereinbefore described process for the formation of metallic rin s, which consists of the following steps 2- 1) forming an annular conducting-mold-blank Or a ring, or

a plurality thereof; (2) positioning the same upon, and in contact with the periphery of a cylindrical-conducting-cathode; (3 interposing upon such cylindrical-catho e insulating-rings to form an annular moldingcavity outward of the peripheral surface of each of such mold-b1ank ring or rings; (4) immersing the cathode so supplied in an electrolytic depositing bath; (5 electrolytically depositing upon the face 0 the conducting-mold-blank ring or rings within the insulated rings the required quantity of deposition to form the ring or rings desired to be produced; (6) removing the mold-blankrings and electrolytically produced rings from the cathode; and (7) separating the mold-blank rings from the electrolytically deposited-rings.

3. The hereinbefore described process for the formation of metallic articles which consists in or comprisesthe following steps (1) forming a conducting mold-blank or blanks; (2) positioning such mold-blank upon, and in contact with a cathode; (3) positioning insulation upon' the cathode walling such mold-blank or blanks to form a moldingcavity or cavities outward of such mol blank or blanks; (4) immersing the cathode in an electrolytic bath; (5) giving motion to the cathode while immersed in the bath; and during such motion electrolytically depositing upon the face of the conducting-moldblank or blanks within the cavity or cavities,

the required quantity of deposition to form the article desired to be produced; (6) removing the conducting-mold-blank or blanks and article or articles from the cathode and, 7 separating the mold-blank or blanks from the article or articles.

4. In a device of the class described, an electrolytic bath tank or receptacle adapted to contain electrolytic fluid; an electriccathode located in the tank; an electricanode also located inthe tank; a conductingmold-blank or blanks positioned on and in contact with the cathode; and walls of insulating material adjacent to the moldblank or blanks also mounted on the cathode extending beyond the mold-blank or blanks to form a de osition cavity or cavities wherein the article or articles required to be produced may be electrolytically deposited.

5. In a device of the class described, a receptacle adapted to receive an' electrolytic fluid having journal-slots in the walls; a

j ournal-slots o the receptacle, ada ted to be end-journals fitting in the v mo e-ea dip into the bath; an anode in the receptacle; a source of electric-supply connected with the cathode, and the anode; and means for rotating the cathode.

6. In a device of the class described, a tank or receptacle for holding an electrolytic depositing bath; a cathode located in such receptacle removahly and revoluhly mounted in such receptacle; an annular conducting mold-blank-ring 0r rings, or a plurality thereof, located upon and in contact with the periphery of the cathode; insulating rings also mounted upon the cathode, and extending beyond the outer geripheral surface of such conducting moldlank ring or rings so as to leave a cavity or cavities of the form of the ring or rings to be deposited; a source of electrical supply connected with the cathode and anode; and means for ro tating the cathode.

NATHANIEL HUGGKNS. Witnesses:

H. D. Penney, H. I. Smenn. 

